There is a particular magic to the Catskills in winter that is difficult to describe until you have experienced it. The mountains go quiet. Snow settles over the forests and ridgelines, softening every edge and muffling every sound. The air is sharp and clean, carrying the faint scent of woodsmoke from the cabin's chimney. Inside, the wood stove radiates warmth through the cedar-paneled living room while the windows frame a world of white. This is winter at The Cedar Stock Cabin — not something to endure, but something to savor.
Why Winter Is Magical Here
The Cedar Stock Cabin was built for winter as much as any other season. The vaulted cedar ceilings hold warmth beautifully, the wood stove transforms the living room into the coziest place on earth, and the views of Overlook Mountain draped in snow are extraordinary. Step out onto the deck on a cold, clear morning and the silence is almost physical — nothing but the creak of cold-stiffened trees and the occasional call of a winter bird. The mountains turn shades of blue and silver in the low winter light, and the sunsets — brief but brilliant — paint the snow in gold and rose.
Skiing and Snow Sports
The cabin's location makes it an ideal base for a Catskills ski vacation. Hunter Mountain is just thirty-five minutes away, offering 67 trails and 1,600 feet of vertical drop with one of the most powerful snowmaking systems in the Northeast. Belleayre Mountain, forty minutes in the other direction, offers a more relaxed, family-friendly experience with beautiful valley views and excellent grooming. Windham Mountain rounds out the options at about fifty minutes. Between the three, you could ski a different mountain every day of a long weekend and never repeat a run. For cross-country enthusiasts, groomed trails near Tannersville and the snow-covered Ashokan Rail Trail offer serene alternatives to the downhill resorts.
The Sauna Experience
The outdoor cedar sauna might be the single best reason to visit Cedar Stock Cabin in winter. There is an ancient Scandinavian wisdom to the practice — heat the body thoroughly in the cedar-scented sauna, then step outside into the bracing mountain air, feel the cold prickling your skin, and repeat. The contrast between the intense dry heat and the cold winter air is exhilarating and deeply restorative. Your muscles loosen, your mind quiets, and something fundamental resets.
After a day of skiing or winter hiking, the sauna ritual becomes the perfect transition from adventure to relaxation. Heat up, cool down, wrap yourself in a towel and sit on the deck for a moment, watching your breath curl into the evening air. Then head inside, stoke the fire, and settle in for the night. It is the kind of simple, physical pleasure that makes a winter getaway feel genuinely rejuvenating rather than merely decorative.
Cozy Cabin Life
Winter at the cabin is an invitation to slow down. The wood stove becomes the center of gravity — loading a fresh log, adjusting the damper, watching the flames dance behind the glass — and the entire rhythm of the day organizes around its warmth. Mornings start with coffee brewed in the full kitchen, sipped on the deck in the cold air with a blanket wrapped around your shoulders. Afternoons might mean a board game at the dining table, a book on the sectional, or a slow cooking project — a pot of chili, a braised roast — that fills the cabin with fragrance.
The full kitchen makes winter cooking a pleasure. Stock up at the local farm stands and markets, and spend an evening preparing a meal together with mountain views fading into the dusk outside the windows. Or, if you would rather let someone else cook, the restaurants in Woodstock are just minutes down the mountain. Either way, the evening ends the same way — warm, fed, and deeply content by the fire.
Holiday Getaways
The cabin is especially popular during the holiday season, and it is easy to see why. A Christmas or New Year's Eve spent here — the tree lights glowing against the cedar walls, snow falling outside the windows, the wood stove crackling, a special meal shared around the live edge dining table — creates the kind of memory that becomes a family tradition. President's Day weekend in February often brings some of the best skiing conditions of the season, making it an ideal time for a long weekend on the slopes followed by evenings at the cabin. These dates book early, so plan ahead.
Winter Hiking
The hiking trails near the cabin take on an entirely different character in winter. Overlook Mountain in snow is a stunning experience — the familiar carriage road becomes a quiet, white corridor through the forest, and the fire tower at the summit offers views of a frozen landscape stretching to the horizon. Microspikes or snowshoes are essential for traction, and the shorter winter days mean starting early. Kaaterskill Falls in winter reveals extraordinary ice formations — massive blue and white curtains of frozen water that transform the familiar cascades into something otherworldly. Always exercise caution on icy trails and check conditions before heading out.